The Gates Millennium Scholars Program is currently open and accepting online applications for its 2013 iteration. 1,000 students are named Gates Millennium Scholars each year– yes, actually one thousand (that wasn’t a typo). This scholarship program is open to minority students, including African American, American Indian – Alaska Native, Asian Pacific Islander American, and Hispanic American students. You must also be U.S. Citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident / Foreign National, be a high school senior, have your GED, or be a high school graduate. Finally, you must have/have had a high GPA of at least 3.3. While the exact amount varies per student, the average award was $11,593 (between the 2000-2010 academic years).

The scholarship application can only be accessed online. The application period closes January 16, 2013 at 11:59 PM (EST), so you have a bit of time. If interested, explore the GMS site, check out the FAQ page, and start getting everything in order for that January deadline. Good luck!